1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to electro-magnetic field generation devices. The present invention comprises a central core surrounded by two rings, one within the other, rotating about a vertical axis or along a horizontal axis. The inner ring is supported and insulated by bearings and dielectric supports. The outer ring is in two halves bolted together. The final assembly is mounted in more bearings and supports in an outer case mounted to the airframe. A center sphere is comprised of a vertical core of conductive and dielectric material (insulated from outer engine casing) the outer surface has conductive/dielectric lines running vertically from pole to pole. Around the sphere is an inner ring spinning in one direction, looking from top, counterclockwise, it is charged with an electrical flow in one direction through a typical brush-type electrical contact system. An outer ring placed around the inner ring (bolted together) will spin in the opposite direction, clockwise and will be charged with an opposite flow of electricity through the brushes. There will be either bearings or dielectric insulation to maintain electrical separation of inner and outer rings. The interface area is what drives the inner ring. An externally mounted starter motor initiates the start sequence.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are other electro-magnetic devices designed for levitation Typical of these is U.S. Pat. No. 4,656,918 issued to M. F. Rose et al. on Apr. 14, 1987.
Another patent was issued to Galen J. Suppes on Sep. 15 1992 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,146,853. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 5,267,091 was issued to P. C. Chen on Nov. 30, 1993 and still yet another was issued on Feb. 27, 1996 to R. E. Post as U.S. Pat. No. 5,495,221.
Another patent was issued to W. Chu et al. on Nov. 3, 1998 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,831,362. U.S. Pat. No. 6,049,148 was issued to S. B. Nichols et al. on Apr. 11, 2000. Another was issued to C. Sheng on Jun. 12, 2001 as U.S. Pat. No. 6,246,131 and still yet another was issued on Mar. 19, 2002 to J. K. Henderson as U.S. Pat. No. 6,357,358
A patent was issued to S. Moriyama et al. on Feb. 4, 2003 as U.S. Pat. No. 6,515,388. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 6,617,722 was issued to A. Ooyama et al. on Sep. 9, 2003. A European patent was issued to T. Nakazawa et al. on Mar. 5, 2003 as European Patent No. 1 288 511 A1.
An improved electromagnetic induction method and apparatus therefor for simultaneously collapsing and propelling a deformable annular-shaped workpiece of relatively lightweight construction in a direction outwardly of the apparatus and along its axis wherein the apparatus is made up of seven different embodiments for carrying out the method. Each apparatus is generally comprised of a framework. The framework includes at least one pulse coil means; and a power supply circuit is connected to the pulse coil means. Annular-shaped surface portions of various embodiments of the apparatus define part of an aperture or passageway for receiving a workpiece and function to position the workpiece in mutual inductance relation to the coil means. The pulse coil means, when energized after positioning of a workpiece in an apparatus, causes the formation of a series of magnetic forces acting on the workpiece that causes progressive collapsing of the workpiece in a direction towards the axis of the apparatus so as to form a slug of solid-like construction and approximately cylindrical or spherical shape. At the same time, the positioned workpiece is accelerated and propelled at a relatively high velocity in a direction outwardly of the coil means and along the apparatus axis. The magnitude of the apex angle, as defined between surface or mandrel portions of an apparatus and the apparatus axis can be varied within limits and is relevant to the magnitudes of the magnetic force components that are generated by a coil means for collapsing, accelerating and propelling a workpiece.
A compact magnetic levitation vehicle or car provides passenger comfort consistent with automobiles and travels suspended on ferromagnetic rails in evacuated tubes of minimal radial dimension extending between vehicle loading and unloading stations or at atmospheric conditions. A pair of guides extend outwardly along opposite sides of the vehicle and contain magnetic elements. Electrically conductive, ferromagnetic, magnetic, or electromagnetic sections in the rails correspond to the magnetic elements in the vehicle guides. Linear motors or controlled interaction with rail members provide propulsion and braking. Extensive portions of the evacuated tubes are provided with two sets of rails, one set of rails functionally located above the other. Rail switching is accomplished by selectively interacting with alternative levitation rails which are located at switching locations. Tube evacuation may be supplemented by vacuum pumps on the vehicle to draw in air during travel. The vehicle may have turbines which draw in air and exhaust compressed gases into cylinders.
A levitating support and positioning system (10) is provided for orienting an electromagnetic energy reflecting assembly (40). System (10) includes a reflective member (60) supported by an annular ring (50) having a plurality of superconductors (70) disposed thereon. Ring (50) is levitated above a base surface (20) by means of a plurality of electromagnetic assemblies (30), each of the electromagnetic assemblies (30) corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of superconductive elements (70), whereby the magnetic fields generated by the electromagnetic assemblies (30) are repelled by the respective superconductive elements. The orientation of the support ring (50), and the reflector therewith, is adjusted by changing the relative magnetic field strength between each of the electromagnetic assemblies (30), allowing the reflector to be directed in both elevation and azimuth.
A magnetic bearing system contains magnetic subsystems which act together to support a rotating element in a state of dynamic equilibrium. However, owing to the limitations imposed by Earnshaw's Theorem, the magnetic bearing systems to be described do not possess a stable equilibrium at zero rotational speed. Therefore, mechanical stabilizers are provided, in each case, to hold the suspended system in equilibrium until its speed has exceeded a low critical speed where dynamic effects take over, permitting the achievement of a stable equilibrium for the rotating object. A state of stable equilibrium is achieved above a critical speed by use of a collection of passive elements using permanent magnets to provide their magnetomotive excitation. The magnetic forces exerted by these elements, when taken together, levitate the rotating object in equilibrium against external forces, such as the force of gravity or forces arising from accelerations. At the same time, this equilibrium is made stable against displacements of the rotating object from its equilibrium position by using combinations of elements that possess force derivatives of such magnitudes and signs that they can satisfy the conditions required for a rotating body to be stably supported by a magnetic bearing system over a finite range of those displacements.
Disclosed is a flywheel system for storing kinetic energy which utilizes a high temperature superconductor/magnet system for the flywheel bearings. The flywheel includes a first magnet, and having a ring magnet defining an opening. The levitation system includes a magnet for attractively interacting with first flywheel magnet, with a high temperature superconductor interposed between them, and further includes a magnet system for repulsively interacting with and partially inserted into the ring magnet.
A rotary motor and a rotary magnetic bearing are integrated in a compact assembly that is contact-less. A stator assembly surrounds a ferromagnetic rotor with an annular air gap which can accommodate a cylindrical wall, e.g. of a chamber for semiconductor wafer processing. The stator assembly has a permanent magnet or magnets sandwiched between vertically spaced magnetic stator plates with plural pole segments. The rotor is preferably a ring of a magnetic stainless steel with complementary pole teeth. The stator assembly (i) levitates and passively centers the rotor along a vertical axis and against tilt about either horizontal axis, (ii) provides a radial position bias for the rotor, and (iii) establishes a motor flux field at the rotor poles. Polyphase coils wound on the stator plates produce a rotating flux field that drives the rotor as a synchronous homopolar motor. A rotor without pole teeth allows operation with an asynchronous inductive drive. A controller energizes control coils wound on each stator pole segment in response to a sensed physical position of the rotor. The control coils provide active radial position control and can actively damp tip and tilt oscillations that may overcome the passive centering.
A magnetic power apparatus includes an outer shell made of magnetically conductive metal, the outer shell having a through hole on one side wall thereof, an iron core axially movably disposed inside the outer shell, a coil positioned in the outer shell around the iron core and controlled to move the iron core axially in the outer shell, a first permanent magnet and a second permanent magnet symmetrically mounted inside the outer shell and axially aligned at two opposite sides of the iron core with same pole aimed against each other, and a driving circuit disposed outside the outer shell and connected with a power output line thereof to the coil to charge a capacitor, the driving circuit outputting to the coil a positive impulse voltage when electrically connected, or a negative impulse voltage when electrically disconnected, causing the iron core to shift the iron core, and causing the first permanent magnet and the second permanent magnet to change magnetic path and to keep the iron core in shifted position.
A transport system has a pair of levitating rails, each of the levitating rails has a core with a plurality of coils extending circumferentially around each of the cores. The coils are perpendicular to the lengths of the levitating rails. Each of the levitating rails has an upper surface directly above the core. A vehicle has wheels that roll on the upper surfaces of the levitating rails in a nonlevitating position. The vehicle has a plurality of magnets that create magnetic fields that pass through the coils while the vehicle is moving along the levitating rails. The magnetic fields induce current, which in turn causes an opposing magnetic field that levitates the vehicle. A steering rail having a plurality of coils is mounted to at least one of the guideways. Permanent steering magnets are located on each side of the steering rail to magnetically steer the vehicle along the guideways.
A magnetic levitation control apparatus comprises a pair of electromagnets for holding a levitated body having a magnetic body in the levitated state. A signal source for supplying a voltage signal of a frequency on a level such that enables the electromagnets to function as the position sensor, wherein a control voltage signal for controlling the magnetic attraction of the electromagnets is superimposed on the voltage signal. A circuit differentially supplies the voltage signal to the pair of electromagnets to form a position signal of the levitated body from an add signal of currents respectively from the electromagnets, and a circuit detects a control current of the electromagnets from a subtraction signal of currents respectively from the electromagnets. A controller generates a control voltage signal of the electromagnets from the detected position signal of the levitated body and, in addition, corrects the position signal detected from the detected control current of the electromagnets.
A magnetic levitation rotating machine is provided which can stably detect the displacement and rotating speed of a rotator and, at the same time, can reduce the size of the whole apparatus, that is, can render the whole apparatus compact. The magnetic levitation rotating machine for supporting a rotator in a levitated state by magnetic force of an electromagnet or a permanent magnet comprises: a position detection plane provided in the rotator and a concave and/or a convex provided in the plane; a displacement sensor provided on the fixed side, for detecting the displacement of the plane including the concave or the convex; and a detection mechanism for detecting the displacement of the rotator and the rotating speed of the rotator from the output of the displacement sensor.
While these electromagnetic levitation devices may be suitable for the purposes for which they were designed, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention, as hereinafter described.